Teens Against Plastic Surgery

For many years, young minds have been greatly influenced by their favorite Hollywood stars – from their clothing and hair, to the products they sell or buy. Recently, with the sudden increase in publicly admitting that one has had some type of cosmetic plastic surgery procedure, teens are voicing their thoughts on the matter, and most are against cosmetic enhancements.

In a recent article written by a high school senior in Florida, the idea of altering one’s face or body is not something that teens see as a positive example. Many of today’s young stars claim that they want their fans to feel confident and secure with themselves, yet they contradict this by undergoing one or more cosmetic procedures. According the article, some actress may even risk their careers when having surgery, such as Jennifer Grey from such movies as “Dirty Dancing” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Had she not undergone nose surgery, Grey may have led a more successful career, whereas now she has virtually disappeared from Hollywood. Although some actresses have minimal enhancement in order to maintain a refreshed appearance, some have gone overboard with their surgeries. In the eyes of their fans, all things must be done in moderation and at an appropriate age – and those in their teens and 20s are much too young.

If you are interested in a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure, you may wish to contact Leonard M. Hochstein, M.D. of the Aventura/Miami area. He is a specialist in facelift surgery, breast augmentation, and tummy tuck surgery.

Plastic Surgery on the Rise

The economic status throughout the country has caused many individuals to cut back on certain luxuries; however, the rate of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures being performed continues to rise. In a recent survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS), procedures such as eyelid surgery, tummy tuck surgery, and rhinoplasty have seen a significant increase in the last five years.

Along with doctors in the AACS, other surgeons have also seen an influx in patients. Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), Robert D. Wilcox, M.D. of Plano, Texas has maintained a steady flow of patients as the financial woes have taken their toll. Due to the variety of surgical and non-surgical procedures offered at his practice, including Fraxel lasers for skin rejuvenation and Botox ® injections. Dr. Wilcox performs face, breasts, and body- enhancing procedures to help patients achieve a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. By combining a surgical procedure with a non-invasive treatment, patients have the ability to fulfill their desired goal in one setting.

If you are in the Dallas/Plano areas, you may wish to contact Dr. Wilcox to learn more regarding these procedures, such as facial fillers and rhinoplasty in Dallas . He can provide you with detailed information on your options. When under Dr. Wilcox’s care, you may anticipate satisfying and natural-looking results.

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Abroad?

While there are risks involved with medical tourism, plastic surgery is often seen as a luxury to those who have the financials means of paying for it. For some, going to other countries where it may appear cheaper is increasingly becoming a worldwide trend; recently, an Australian teen was said to be heading to Malaysia in order to undergo body rejuvenating procedures. In Beverly Hills, Stuart A. Linder, M.D., F.A.C.S. often sees patients from afar. Along with individuals from across the country, those from out of the country have also inquired about plastic surgery procedures at Dr. Linder’s office.

A specialist in breast and body enhancing procedures, the practice of Dr. Linder is often visited by patients from such countries as Canada, Australia, Spain, and Norway. His qualifications and experience have led to several successful outcomes. Some of his most commonly requested procedures include breast augmentation, breast lift surgery, liposuction, and tummy tuck surgery. In fact, many women who have experienced multiple pregnancies often undergo a combination of these surgeries in order to attain optimal results. When meeting with Dr. Linder, you can discuss your problem areas and learn of your body contouring options.

If you are interested in undergoing a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure with internationally known Dr. Linder, you may visit his website to schedule an appointment. You may also view before and after photos of those who have previously undergone body enhancing procedures in Beverly Hills.

Summer Season Means High Demand for Plastic Surgery Procedures

Southern California weather is heating up and summer is quickly approaching, which means that women are becoming more aware of their body shape and size. Oftentimes, these individuals adopt a regular exercise routine and healthy diet in order to shed excess pounds and achieve a more slender contour. However, there comes a time when the regular means of weight loss no longer produces the results one desires and alternatives must be considered, such as cosmetic plastic surgery.

Within close distance to Orange County, Alexander Carli, M.D., F.A.C.S. specializes in several breast and body procedures, including breast augmentation, liposuction, and tummy tuck surgery. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), these surgeries make up a portion of the top five cosmetic surgical procedures in 2009, with women making up 90 percent of the total number of patients. As the summer heat drive women towards the beach, many are rushing to a plastic surgeon. However, these are elective, invasive procedures that should not be taken lightly. For this reason, Dr. Carli encourages patients to carefully research the procedure and doctor who will be performing the surgery.

In Orange County, Liposuction surgery is designed to remove stubborn pockets of fat from various locations on the body, including the neck, arms, abdomen, hips, lower back, and thighs. A long tube called a cannula is inserted near the target area through small incisions, and is used to break up the fat cells to allow for removal. Based on the patient’s anatomy and desired results, the most appropriate liposuction will be chosen. In addition, women who have loose, sagging skin in the stomach and stretched abdominal muscles may wish to combine tummy tuck surgery with their liposuction procedure. A tummy tuck removes excess skin and tightens the abdominal muscles in order to produce a flatter midsection. Although summer is quickly arriving, patients must understand that these procedures require approximately three to four weeks of recovery before engaging in regular activities.

Additionally, women who have small breasts or loss of volume due to breastfeeding often inquire about breast enhancement surgery. With the use of saline or silicone gel breast implants, Dr. Carli can provide patients with larger, shapelier breasts. Those who have sagging may wish to combine breast lift surgery in order to elevate the breasts to a more youthful position on the chest wall. These procedures also require a lengthy recovery time of approximately four weeks, at which point more vigorous activities may be resumed.

Proper technique and care throughout the procedure is of utter importance, which is why careful research should be done prior to scheduling surgery. To learn more regarding these breast and body enhancing procedures, prospective patients near Orange County may contact Dr. Carli.

Top 10 Cosmetic Surgery Lawsuits

Taking Botox to court is something akin to suing Santa Claus. Almost everybody likes Botox as much as Santa, so how would you get a jury to vote against either one? Only time will tell….about Botox, that is.

Three months before Christmas, Santa is certainly on safe ground.

So nobody is suing Santa. Yet, anyhow. But in January, all bets are off!

Given the number of lawyers looking for something to do, the Momma-put-a-lump-of-coal-in-my-Xmas-stocking class action lawsuit is just around the corner.


(Pamela Moore photo)

Patrick Hudson, M.D., a plastic surgeon in New Mexico, located some insider statistics that show which plastic surgery procedures are most likely to lead to the court house.

Here are the top ten litigated procedures, along with the percentages of actions the procedure draws. More.

1. Nose surgery……………………..22 %
2. Breast reduction………………….17 %
3. Eyelid surgery……………………16%
4. Breast enlargement……………….13%
5. Face lift…………………………… 9%
6. Various………………………… 7%
7. Breast reconstruction…………..… 6%
8. Tummy tuck……………………… 5%
9. Liposuction……………………….. 3%
10. Facial resurfacing………………. …2%

Nose surgery heads the list because it’s the most difficult plastic surgery procedure to learn and perform. More.

Breast reduction involves removing a lot of tissue; however, eyelid surgery is a surprise because it is supposed to be one of the easier procedures to perform. Breast enlargement made its way onto the list because it’s very popular, with 329,000 patients undergoing the procedure in 2007, the most recent year for which statistics exist. A tummy tuck involves a long incision across the abdomen so insurance companies should be thankful the percentage is relatively low. Ditto breast reconstruction.

Hint: If, for some reason, you aren’t satisfied with the outcome of your plastic surgery, two eminent Beverly Hills cosmetic plastic surgeons, Drs. Robert Kotler and Stuart Linder, tell the top five constructive things to do if your procedure does not go well.

Read their blog, Top 5 Remedies for Unsatisfying Plastic Surgery.

Plastic Surgery for Pooches

Yearly, some appearance-challenged canine is named top dog in the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California. (Read more.)

Gus, a Chinese Crested, won for 2008 even though he has had a rough row to hoe in life. He has lost one leg to disease, one eye in a cat fight, a handful of teeth due to chewing on countless bones, and a furry coat due to heredity; after all, he is a hairless Chinese crested dog. Gus was simply born to be as ugly as a mud fence.

Nonetheless, his owners think Gus, pictured below, is precious.


Gus relaxing at home
(iStock photo)

2007’s winner was even more revolting. Also a Chinese Crested, Elwood, pictured below, won that year, perhaps because he is even more crested and has even less hair than Gus. You have to admit that when it comes to looks, Elwood is also just a real dog.


Elwood, 2007’s Top Ugly Dog
(Canada News Photo)

A Plastic Surgeon for Dogs

Anyhow, there’s somebody we would like Gus and Elwood to meet -- Brazilian doctor Vet Elgado Brito, a big proponent of pet plastic surgery.

To the Brazilian way of thinking, if you make people beautiful, hey, why not make their “animal companions” beautiful, too? Works for me! (As long as the creature is house broken; there’s no way that beauty alone makes up for, well, you’ve got the picture by now.)

Botox and Breast Augmentations

Dr. Brito has used Botox to straighten inverted doggy eyelashes so that Fido’s eyeball is not irritated. Among other cosmetic surgery, the South America doc has even performed canine breast augmentation by tightening mammillae of female dogs before beauty contests so that the dogs could take part in the type of contests in which good looks -- and not vile features -- are judged. (Read more about Dr. Brito.)


The owners of this Sharpei wanted Botox
to remove the dog’s wrinkles
but could not afford 1,500 vials of Botox.
(iStock.xchng photo)

But if you look closely enough, others are making unsightly animals more attractive, too.

Rhinoplasty and Eyelid lifts

The Animal Medical Center of Southern California requires a medical reason for cosmetic treatments on animals; nonetheless, the work often results in an eyelift, facelift, rhinoplasty or abdominoplasty, a procedure we Homo Sapiens fondly call a “tummy tuck.” However, liposuction is out, partly because dogs don’t mind being fat.

If your “animal companion” is a Pug, Bulldog or a Boston terrier, breeds in which breathing problems are common, the mutt may be eligible for rhinoplasty. Sharpeis and Chows often have a congenital defect that make their eyelids roll inwards, causing the eye winkers to rub the eye, perhaps resulting in scratches. The solution? A canine style eyelid lift.

Lip Augmentation

And there is the heart-warming case of Feznick, a 75-pound gray kangaroo who lives at a farm for Hollywood animal actors. Feznick was bitten on the face by his neighbor, a wolf and fellow actor when he, Feznick, poked his snout into the next cage. That left the ‘Roo with a snarling lip and totally unsuitable for his close-ups. So, back in 2006, a vet named Dr. Wolff (really!) repaired Feznick’s lip with a little cosmetic surgery described much like the human procedure, “except with a lot more hair.” (Read more.)


This Kangaroo isn’t Feznick (we could not afford
his picture!) but another Kangaroo who is available
for movies and commercials. (His day job is being an
attraction at a petting zoo.)

Plastic Surgery Poll

Which is NOT the Real Plastic Surgery Procedure?

Of the procedures listed below, five are real and one is bogus. Leave your answers in the comment box below. Test Your Plastic Surgery Knowledge!

(1) “Bird Poop” Facial

A high-end New York City spa has come up with a way to rejuvenate delicate facial skin -- and without painful surgery. You’ve probably heard that sales pitch before, but master aesthetician Shizuka Bernstein is offering the Geisha Facial.

The concoction is made from several Japanese ingredients, held together with heavy doses of Nightingale droppings. (In Japan, it’s an ancient, time-honored ingredient known as “Uguisu no Fun.”) The treatment is being referred to as the “Bird Poop” Facial by the few who have actually had it smeared, er, that is, I mean applied and the thousands who stand by -- at a distance -- and watch in amazement.

(2) Breast Implants for the Lips

For years, surgeons have implanted empty breast implants in the chests of bosom-challenged women and then filled them with saline after the devices were securely nested inside the patient’s chest. Then, the implants were filled to a size that fits the patient’s frame, bone structure and wishes.

So why not do the same thing to make lips larger and more luscious?

Surgeons can now implant a tiny little saline bag in the lips and, then working through equally tiny filler tubes, fill the implants with just enough saline to make those smackers truly kissable.

(3) Water Jet Liposuction

You would have to travel to Thailand, but a new way to remove fat from those stubborn pockets of flab is blasting it away with powerful jets of water. One of the chief benefits is that no heat is produced inside the body, according to the owners of the SP Clinic in Bangkok, Thailand. Just think of the device as an internal Water Pik for liposuction.

(4) ScarArt Hides Surgical Scars

Have a tummy tuck scar that runs across your lower stomach or perhaps a scar left from a C-Section, but still want to look sharp in a bikini? A new temporary tattoo, designed by a woman for other women, allows you to slap on a waterproof, smear-proof, and extremely colorful tat to hide that pesky scar. It lasts three days.

(5) Robotic Breast Augmentation

It doesn’t have anything to do with a clanking, whirring automaton doing surgery on its own. But, it’s possible for a surgeon sitting at a console to perform breast enhancement by giving instructions to extremely slim robotic hands.

The chief benefit is that the robot has the steadiest “hands” known and works through extremely tiny openings in the patient’s skin.

(6) The “Earlobe Job”

While almost every other part of the human body can have its drooping, sagging or shriveling parts rejuvenated, medical science has somehow missed the earlobes.

The problem? After decades of supporting dangling, swaying earrings that usually weigh a little less than a VW, aging earlobes become stretched and can sway and flop around like the ears on a blood hound. What woman wants earlobes sitting on her shoulders? Totally ruins the effect of a spaghetti strap dress!

Solution? Lobe Pumping. Just a syringe full of a facial filler like Restylane does the job for the short haul.

Of course, Restylane wears off in about nine months. For really severe cases, patients should see their plastic surgeon about surgical earlobe reduction.

Which is NOT the Real Plastic Surgery Procedure?

…Check back soon to see if you know which plastic surgery procedure is false!

Top Medical News of the World

Dementia in the Family? Get a Tummy Tuck!

Now, nobody ever said the way to prevent a case of Alzheimer’s later on in life is to rush out and get a tummy tuck . But it might improve the odds of keeping all, well okay, most of your marbles as an old timer.

Here’s how scientists found that belly fat can put bats in your belfry:

Kaiser Permanente in Northern California studied 6,583 of its patients and measured their stomachs between 1964 and 1973 when the study group was 40 to 45 years old.

Three decades later, the researchers went back and measured the same subjects’:

• Waist sizes
• Dementia rates

(SXC Photo)

Results? People with large bellies were 2.6 times more likely to develop dementia than people with a normal waist size. And the news got worse as study group stomachs grew larger. Obese study subjects with really large bellies -- on the order of a Santa Claus belly -- were 3.6 times more like to go bonkers as an old person.

Conclusion? Other than dieting and regular, hard exercise (whew! I get exhausted just thinking about it!). The only other way to cut down on belly fat seems to be via a tummy tuck (“abdominoplasty”).

Actually, most guys would consider the procedure if it were known as a “gut tuck” or maybe a “gut check.” There’s just something too delicate about the word “tummy.” Can you imagine anybody referring to the “beer gut” as a “beer tummy?” I should say not! It takes many years of dedicated, hard work to create a beer gut!

Obesity and Bad Breath

The bad news for overweight people never seems to end.

If being driven crazy by a little flab isn’t bad enough, Israeli researchers have found that obesity can cause bad breath, too. It’s sorta the same old story: take a group of people, study them and compare who’s got what. In this case, a study of 88 people found that the most overweight also suffered complaints about stinky breath! Nobody seems to know why yet. Maybe a tummy tuck fixes the bad breath thing, too! Read more.

Sleepy? Get a Nose Job!

Daytime sleepiness is a huge problem. Just check out living rooms at 9 in the evening and count the number of snoozers in front of a blaring T.V. Lack of z’s has also been blamed on a number of disasters from Three Mile Island to the Exxon Valdez oil spill to a massive failing of freshman English every year at most colleges and universities. (Well, okay, the colleges and universities, I attended, anyhow!)


(SXC photo)

Researchers in Taiwan studied 51 patients with symptoms of daytime sleepiness. The researchers accessed the patients a month before and three months after surgery. They found a significant drop in the rates of daytime sleepiness and blocked nasal airways.

Attention wives! Here’s the really good news: Most of the subjects also quit snoring!

One of the first things a plastic surgeon will do if you go in for a nose job will be to check on how well you breathe through your nose. Read more about sleepiness and having a nasal surgery.

A Gecko Foot for Incisions

Surgery helped by a lizard? Ants used for stitches?

Ever wonder how a Gecko hangs from a ceiling all day by one toe?

Turns out, if you look really, really close, a Gecko has millions of hairy, sticky thingies on the bottom of each foot that allows the creature to hang onto almost anything. It even sticks under water.


Gold dust day Gecko.

So what’s that got to do with plastic surgery, you ask? Good question.

Scientists have developed a new bandage that works the same way as a Gecko’s foot. Imagine getting some plastic surgery that has a long scar -- like a tummy tuck -- and then showing people how your skin is being held together by a bandage inspired by a lizard.

The bandage can be folded and refolded, wrapped around a hole in a bladder or used to reseal a segment of intestine after surgery. Read more.

As for ants, it gets even more weird: Certain ants have been used to suture wounds without stitches. The skin on either side of a wound is brought together and the ants induced to bite so that their jaws hold the skin together.

Then the ants are decapitated leaving their head attached with jaws clamped tight until the wound heals!

Of course, that’s mostly used in jungle medicine. Your basic plastic surgeon will probably stick to stitches and needles.

Plastic Surgery and the Dating Scene

Some of the “Milestone” events for getting plastic surgery are often for:

*Weddings



If the happy couple is lucky, the pictures will be handed down for generations. (The other 50 percent will eventually cut their despicable ex out of the wedding photos and go on from there.)

So everybody -- especially the mother of the bride -- wants to look sharp. (Here’s a website that follows wedding participants who spring for a pre-nuptial nip or tuck: Lovegevity.)

*Reunions



Suddenly, it’s 25 years later and your old classmates are taking turns telling you how great you look. The 1978 class babe (or stud) is staring at you, wondering how did I ever let her (or him) get away? Considering the dog the high school babe is currently with, you can bet your bottom dollar the former flame is kicking her-or-himself. And you? Lots of cosmetic plastic surgery. Priceless! Read more about plastic surgery and reunions.



*Returning to Dating

(Or, Finding the Sweaty T-shirt that Trips your Trigger!)

So, after many decades, you’ve freed yourself from the old ball and chain. Plus, the kids are off to college and the nest is empty. (Except between jobs and bad marriages, of course.)

Next big step: You’ve signed up with an online dating service and are looking for Mr. or Ms. Right, the person you should really be with. But you also find a big Gulp! stuck in your throat. You’re nervous about your heretofore ignored appearance so you visit a plastic surgeon.

For guys, it’s usually getting the love handles taken off, maybe a little gynecomastia surgery, perhaps an eyelid lift. New-to-dating women usually ask about a tummy tuck, other breast procedures and a face lift.

However, a new dating service thinks perhaps you can skip the knife altogether. Instead, they want you to sniff your new love interest and find the smell pleasant. Even if no soap and shower has been applied! More.

ScientificMatch.com takes a dab of your DNA and, uses a process with a tongue twisting name, “Major Histocompatibility Complex.” The technology then finds a match whose scent is pleasing to you. Of course, the other likes and dislikes are included in your profile which excludes people with scents like yours.

It’s based on real science.

In one famous study, women preferred the smell of T-shirts from men whose genes were most different from their own. Really! In exact, proper scientific language, it’s known as the “Sweaty T-shirt Experiment.” Read more.



All you do for the DNA test is rub the inside of your cheek with a cotton swab.

(Sorry, gals, nothing can be done about the smell of the gene that causes football watching all weekend. And, guys, researchers are still working on locating that mysterious female shopping gene which appears to be connected to the shoe-buying gene.)



Declares Eric Holzle, ScientificMatch.com founder: “DNA matching is the chemistry of our service while values matching is the heart.

“When you share chemistry with someone, you’ll love their natural body fragrance,” he says. “They’ll smell sexier than other people.”

And, hey, don’t sweat it if you sign up. First dates do not require wearing on old T-shirt

What are your best first date stories?

Plastic Surgery Movie

Plastic Surgery Movie

It looks boffo (Hollywood-speak for “a two-hanky tearjerker”). Provided you can find it and don’t mind English subtitles over a Korean sound track, the flick 200 Pounds of Beauty is about a Korean 20-year-old blessed with an unbelievable voice. But she’s also an Asian incarnation of Mama Cass, tipping the scales at 200 pounds. This, on a four-foot-nine frame in a nation where the average weight for females is 95 pounds!

Plastic Surgery Hot Spot

The heroine, Kim Ah-Jung, is the secret vocalist for a famous (READ: reed thin) Korean singer who lip syncs to Kim’s marvelous singing. The plot thickens again when Kim meets a famous plastic surgeon, a totally natural development because Korea has become a plastic surgery hot spot in Asia.
Eventually, Kim gets sick of her weight. She stays in seclusion for a year to lose it, emerging as Jenny, a recent émigré from California to becomes an overnight singing sensation AND -- here’s the two hanky part -- capturing the heart of her secret love. Jenny/Kim is the sole act in a huge, national concert. But old enemies reveal her actual past and show pictures of her former corpulent self at the concert.

Breaks Down

Instead of singing, Jenny breaks down, admits to the millions in attendance (though satellite hookups) she is really is a “fake” and “all plastic.” Much to her surprise, the audience chants en masse “That’s okay, Jen, go on with the show!”
While the movie won a handful of awards, it’s a tad misleading about plastic surgery.
Sure, surgeons can remove some excess fat through liposuction, but the procedure is not for weight loss. There is just no easy way around the weight loss thing; it has to be done the hard way, by eating less and working out more. Check this out to get a better appreciation of what liposuction can -- and can not do.

NBC’s Biggest Loser

If movies were real life and Jenny did lose 100 or more pounds, she would have required an altogether different plastic surgery procedure, body shaping or body contouring to get rid of excess skin.
Of course, if moves were like real life, nobody would go. But here’s a little slice of real life, about NBC’s Biggest Loser who had body shaping after breaking the show’s records.
What’s your favorite film or T.V. program about plastic surgery?

Next time: Dental appointments reminders phone home!